


A Thousand Times Yes

by womeninthesequel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Childhood Friends, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Non-Binary Dominique Weasley, Non-binary character, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/womeninthesequel/pseuds/womeninthesequel
Summary: The Potters and Weasleys go on a family vacation. Victoire and Teddy decide they need some time alone to have the most fun - not that they're anything more than best friends.--“Didn’t you hex a few people for saying Uncle Harry peaked at seventeen? Maybe someone warned them. Plus,” Victoire added, like the Ravenclaw she was, “all the good books are written about teenagers. Interesting things stop happening when you become an adult and can’t save the world anymore.”Teddy groaned and shoved a pillow over his head. “If my godfather’s the most famous wizard in the world and he peaked at seventeen, what hope do I have?”
Relationships: Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley
Comments: 38
Kudos: 69





	1. Prologue

Adulthood, Teddy Lupin decided, was a scam. 

There should be some kind of course on preparing for it. School didn’t do it right. Maybe there could be a session where they sat everyone down and explained what would really happen when they left. Instead, they handed out too many falsely cheery employment flyers that made too many promises. 

He was told for years that everything he was doing mattered. It was important to do well in class and do everything right so he would be prepared for life outside of the castle. At Hogwarts, he got to work on exciting spells and do research on things he liked. As a seventh year, professors didn’t tell him that he was too young to do anything important.

Adulthood wasn’t like that. As a trainee and fresh graduate, he was too young and underestimated for _everything_. Childhood and school led up to the mythical state of adulthood, and it was… a let down. 

If he was putting it mildly.

There was much less room for praise, for one. Instead of a shiny ‘O’ scribbled at the top of his essay or an even shinier Head Boy badge pinned to his jumper for a job well done, work assignments came back with gruff nods of approval. If he was lucky. He wasn’t even spared the hasty approval from his own godfather, though Teddy suspected that was Harry’s way of proving that he wasn’t biased toward Teddy.

He appreciated it, but maybe a little bias would be all right sometimes.

Although he wasn’t always one for following the rules, the utter lack of them was somehow unmooring. School was about structure. Teddy thrived when he knew the exact path that would lead to success. He filled his schedule at Hogwarts with responsibilities and clubs. He covered any free time with sneaking trips to the kitchen (it was right by his common room, after all) and teasing Victoire.

Now, he only had to get up at the right time, go to work, and go home. There were no prefect meetings or Quidditch practices or essays or extra credit assignments to stay on Professor Longbottom’s good side. 

For the first few weeks, it was freedom. Hours stretched before him in a way they never had. He could take a nap. He could rearrange his entire flat. He could try to write the next Great Wizarding Novel. He could lounge around and do nothing. 

It didn’t take long for it to get old. Teddy hadn’t realized how much he relied on his packed schedule to keep his mind going and boredom at bay. Once he got home for the night, how much was there to do for fun in a minimal flat on a trainee salary?

The promises that might have felt burdensome when he first left school were now the things that kept him going.

“You need something to do,” his grandmother admonished as she stood by the stove during his weekly visit. “You and your mother always had the habit of getting into trouble when you didn’t have enough to keep you busy.”

Teddy glowed at the comparison to his mum, as he always did. He sat up a little straighter. “What did Mum do when she finished school?”

“Auror training, of course,” Gran answered. She plucked a few spices from the cabinet over her head to add to the stew. “And gave me a heart attack when she said she was going to do secret work for Dumbledore.”

He stood to take the spoon from her and kissed Andromeda on the cheek. “Maybe I’ll move back in with you, Gran. You always knew how to keep me in line.”

She patted his cheek and, finally, let him take care of her for once.

Admittedly, it had gotten significantly less boring in the last week. Until his best friend and the rest of her cousins returned from Hogwarts, Teddy was stuck in a rut. Visiting the kids was fun, but visiting his godfather was less fun when he was also his boss. 

The return of Hogwarts students, including Victoire, meant he could feel a bit more like himself.

“Someone should have warned me,” he lamented, stretching out on Victoire’s bed with his hands interlocked behind his head. “It’s so boring, being an adult.”

“You probably should have known,” Victoire replied diplomatically. She slid a book back onto her shelf and ran her finger down the row of spines. “Didn’t you hex a few people for saying Uncle Harry peaked at seventeen? Maybe someone warned them. Plus,” she added, like the Ravenclaw she was, “all the good books are written about teenagers. Interesting things stop happening when you become an adult and can’t save the world anymore.”

Teddy groaned and shoved a pillow over his head. “If my godfather’s the most famous wizard in the world and _he_ peaked at seventeen, what hope do I have?”

She shrugged and continued sorting her shelf. Victoire was not very affected by his dramatics anymore, which made them slightly less fun.

Either way, summer was already looking to be a great improvement. 

With the return of the Hogwarts bunch, the adults who had more experience in this life than him made a decision. Since the kids were mostly now old enough to remember things, they would do something more than family dinners and pick up Quidditch matches. They were going to get away and have a classic family vacation.

Teddy was thrilled. 

For the first time since he began Auror training nearly a year ago, Teddy was going to have a proper break from the seemingly endless cycle of his routine. It was much more fun to do nothing when he didn’t have to walk up for work the next morning. 

Harry was even taking the week off - a truly rare feat - so everyone in the class was dismissed to see their families and maybe not think about dark wizards for a few days.

_Brilliant_. 

He didn’t need to be told twice. His bare flat meant he could have his bag packed within an hour of being told what was happening. Teddy was more than happy to take some time away from work to lounge on the beach and forget about watch schedules and disguise tests. Of course, he didn’t need to worry about that unit, really, but his instructors were much less charmed with pig noses and lime green hair than his professors had been. 

For two whole weeks, his biggest worries could be avoiding a sunburn and coaxing Victoire away from a book if she got in a mood. 

It would be glorious.


	2. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @fightfortherightsofhouseelves for looking over this and leaving such lovely comments!
> 
> We always need more Tedoire in our lives. Let me know what you think!

School was hard.

Her father’s reassurances that every young witch or wizard went through it didn’t help. Someone else’s problems didn’t make hers any easier. In the middle of it all, even Teddy’s encouraging letters didn’t make it easier to stomach losing hours of sleep to memorize a list of potion ingredients. 

Despite their best intentions, it didn’t make her sixth year any better knowing that the N.E.W.T.s at the end of next year would be worse. She was tired _now_.

Summer was her time. She could catch up on the muggle romance novels Aunt Hermione bought her throughout the year. Pick up Quidditch in Gran Weasley’s backyard would be pure recreation. There wasn’t a cup on the line. Aunt Ginny could finally teach her that move she couldn’t quite describe by owl. She didn’t have to read a textbook for several months.

Better yet, the adults decided it was time to see more than their own backyards. When Maman told her to pack everything she would need for a few weeks, Victoire didn’t have to be told twice. 

After months of homework and prefect rounds - not to mention classes and Quidditch practice, followed by two weeks of torturous testing - Victoire needed a break. Nothing was going to stop her from enjoying this vacation.

If they ever made it there.

Getting any family beach-ready would always be something of an ordeal. When that family was made up of Potters, Weasleys, and Grangers… There was a slight chance that they might make it to the beach before the Hogwarts Express left for another year.

In a group with so many opinions, there was no going with the first or simplest option. Everyone wanted to feel like they contributed. Everyone wanted to pitch in. And everyone had feelings that were a little tender when their suggestion wasn’t taken. 

First, they had the debate over which type of transport to take. Floo, broomsticks, portkeys, side-along apparition, muggle cars… Muggle and magic gave them too many options, and none of them were perfect. 

If only someone invented the perfect way of travelling so picking a method wasn’t an entire ordeal on its own. 

After going back and forth, they finally agreed to use a portkey to get to the closest town to the beach. Then, they would rent a few muggle cars to make it to the reserved water-side house. Victoire leaned her cheek on her hand and nodded along. They had to get moving.

Despite their numbers, they didn’t need a whole caravan. Magic meant they could stretch the cars to fit everyone in two. 

In this case, the muggles had the right idea. Ten people shouldn’t ride in the same car.

Victoire loved her cousins, but they were going to spend the two whole weeks together. Some amount of room to breathe would have been nice. She managed to squeeze into the seat next to Teddy, but James wasn’t very good at keeping his seatbelt on while his father drove. With a bit of guilt, Victoire wished they had to follow more limits on how many people could sit in one vehicle.

They were on a roll. Once they piled into the cars, it was only a short drive. Her father reassured her of this several times, though she also saw him turn the map around when he thought no one was looking. 

Before they managed to make it to the house, someone - she wasn’t sure who at this point, since _everyone_ was yelling about the sites - demanded that they stop at the first shop they saw after the scenery changed to sand. A sign that was almost as big as the building announced ‘BEACH SOUVENIRS’ in flashing lights. Victoire slid out of the bewitched backseat and let the rest of her family lead the way through the door.

While the kids burned off some energy, Victoire ambled down the center aisle. Her sandals squeaked on the linoleum flooring. Every surface was covered in bright colors. The aisle was barely wide enough to pass through, since it was clogged with cheap clothing, kites, and personalized keychains. She stopped by one display and spun it absently. 

“Bet you ten sickles that they don’t have my name?” she wagered. 

“Not taking that bet,” a voice from the other side of a wall of shelves answered. “Have to be smart with my money now that I’m on my own.”

“Fine,” Victoire said, plucking an ‘Edward’ off the rack. She spun it on her finger. “Adult Teddy takes the fun out of everything. Did you forget anything?”

Teddy poked his head out from behind a shelf of neon t-shirts. “Obviously,” he answered with a serious expression, holding up a plastic shark. When he pressed a button on the side, its nearly translucent teeth snapped weakly. The faint melody of Baby Shark was barely audible over the toy’s grinding plastic gears. “I can’t survive without this.”

“Obviously,” she repeated. “Don’t let Dominique see that, or they’ll never go in the water.”

Victoire was sure that her parents regretted letting Uncle George show them some old muggle films. He thought _Jaws_ was a bit of a laugh, but Dominique didn’t want to sleep in their own bed for a week. They swore a shark was going to appear every time they heard the gentle waves near Shell Cottage.

“Now, Vic, you can’t say something like that and not expect me to -”

“Teddy!” someone called from the front of the shop. “Can you come here?”

“I’ve been summoned.” Teddy ducked behind the shelf and reappeared by her side. He dropped the shark on a shelf. His hair shifted to a darker color. The blue she was used to only flashed in parts when the fluorescent lights hit it just right. “Vic, make sure you get in the house first. We have to claim the best rooms.”

Victoire nodded, hiding the keychain in her hand. “I’ll take care of it. Go save the day, Lupin.”

He saluted her and turned to the cashier stand. 

Even in the explosion of silly trinkets and discount towels, she could keep track of him. Victoire moved onto her toes to follow his path. She wanted to know what prompted her family to call him away. Teddy made it to the front of the store, nodded to her grandfather, and put an elbow on the counter. He grinned at the girl behind the register. 

Without thinking about it, Victoire took a step forward to get a better view. The rack of keychains groaned when she put a hand on it to move farther on her toes and gain a few inches. 

Teddy quietly made small talk with the cashier while counting out the right amount of coins. She laughed at something he said and pushed some hair behind her ear. Teddy grinned and nodded when Grandad Weasley said something else. Victoire silently cursed herself for leaving some of her uncle’s Extendable Ears in the bottom of her bag, which was still in the car.

“What are you doing?”

Victoire spun on her toes and promptly lost her balance with a yelp. Though she had nothing on Teddy’s level of clumsiness, she never had the grace of her younger sibling. Dominique practically glided across the floor when they walked into a room, even when they were racing down the stairs or tired from waking up in the middle of the night. 

In the air, Victoire was graceful. On the ground, Dominique managed to find her in the cases where she wasn’t. 

Apparently, Victoire had been leaning on the shelves more than she thought to keep the front counter in her sightline. With a crash, the display of keychains smashed into the floor and managed to bring a stack of shirts down with it. Victoire went down with it, smashing her hip and feeling a jolt in her wrist that told her that she tried to catch herself. 

To add insult to injury, the shirts fell directly on her. She looked down and quickly batted away a long shirt with an overly curvy drawing of someone’s body in a bikini. 

Dominique stood by Victoire’s feet with their hands on their hips. 

“You could help me, you know,” Victoire said crossly.

Dominique rolled their eyes but offered their hand. Victoire took it and stood. 

“What were you doing?”

“I wasn’t doing anything. You scared me.” Victoire brushed herself off, ignoring the mild throbbing at her hip that would likely turn into a bruise. That would be hard to hide in a swimsuit. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”

“You shouldn’t be so easy to sneak up on.” Dominique lifted the keychain display and set it upright. Some were scattered on the floor, but most of the tags were still in place. They clinked together as they stilled. “Why were you peeking over the shelf like a creep?”

“I wasn’t _peeking_.” Victoire swept some fallen keychains into her hands and busied herself by finding their properly labelled spots. “I was looking at souvenirs.”

“I don’t think Teddy’s arse counts as a souvenir.” Victoire sputtered, but Dominique cut her off with a glance at her hands. “Or did you really need three keychains that say ‘William’?”

“Maybe I was getting a present for Dad.”

“Right.” Victoire could sense Dominique’s skepticism without turning to see their face. “He’s just counting change for Grandad, you know. It’s really not that interesting.”

“Who are you -”

“Don’t even.” Dominique knelt to pick up the shirts and leaned closer to Victoire. This time, they had the decency to lower their voice. “We both know you were watching Teddy. Like you _always_ do.” 

“I don’t always -” 

Dominique rose to return the shirts to their shelves, leaving their sister scoffing at no one. “Maybe you should try to be a little more subtle next time? Even James is going to catch on if you keep this up.” 

They turned away once the shirts were back in place. Without another word, they headed toward the front of the store, confirming Victoire’s theory that Dominique could look like a dancer in almost any circumstance.

“Hey,” someone said by her shoulder. “Need some help?”

This arrival didn’t spook her. Victoire turned to see Teddy and was glad that her cheeks didn’t still feel hot from Dominique’s teasing. “It’s okay. I’ve got it.”

“Don’t worry about it. If we get it done faster, we have a better shot of claiming those rooms.” Teddy grinned and then called over his shoulder. “Lily! Want to play a game?”

The little girl bounded over, appearing in the middle of the chaos of the store with chocolate smeared on the corner of her mouth. “What kind of game?” She tugged on the strap of her overalls and bounced on the balls of her feet.

Victoire reached out to smooth Lily’s curls and wipe away the smudge of chocolate with her thumb. 

“The person who sorts the most keychains gets a prize,” Teddy explained. He leaned forward like he was sharing a secret. “How’s that sound?”

“Okay!” Without any other prompting, Lily dove for the floor. Like a little hurricane, she collected most of the remaining keychains in her tiny hands. From her spot on the floor, she slipped the last few rows of keychains into their places.

Victoire met Teddy’s gaze over Lily’s head and grinned.

\--

After leaving the muggle shop, Victoire fully intended to take advantage of every moment of her precious vacation. Once they got to their destination, it would be easier to break into groups. From there, people could pick what they wanted to do without everyone else tagging along.

Predictably, their pit stop cost them time. By the time everyone made it back into the cars and down the road to the house, the sun started to make its way toward the horizon.

Victoire stood in the room her parents claimed and glanced out the window. The sun kept moving, so she was running out of time. “I want to see the beach before it gets dark,” she said. “There’s still a few hours of sunshine.”

She was practically an adult now. She had been seventeen for a month and a half already. When they got back from vacation, she would take her apparition test and have it passed before returning to school for her last year. She shouldn’t even have to ask for permission.

Surely, she could go down to the beach for a few hours. 

“It’s our first night here, _mon amour_.” Her mother refolded one of her father’s shirts and slipped it into a drawer. “We should spend it as a family.”

“We have the next two weeks together.” 

“And you won’t be asking to go off on your own during that time?”

Victoire picked up another shirt to fold, rather than answering her mother directly. “Maman,” she said carefully. “I won’t miss dinner. We’ll come back in time.”

“We?” Fleur looked up from the dress in her hands. Her expression turned into one of sharp interest. “Who else is going with you?”

“Teddy.”

“ _Oui_ ,” her mother agreed. “Of course.” 

“I’ll have a buddy! Like all the safety pamphlets say.”

Maman looked down at what she was folding, but Victoire could tell she started to smile. “Go to the beach with Teddy, then.”

She wouldn’t argue with that.

“Thanks, Maman!”

Before she could run out of the room, Fleur’s voice stopped her. Maman didn’t need to speak loudly to make everyone listen. She could command a room simply because she wanted to do so. It was a skill Victoire hadn’t mastered yet. “Take Lily with you. She’ll like the ocean too.”

“Yes. Right. Okay.” Anything to let her feel the sand under her feet and the sun on her shoulders. “Be back soon!”

She hurried out of the room before she could have a whole crew with her. As she passed, she yelled into the corner room. “Get your suit, Lupin!” Victoire slipped her leg over the railing and slid to the next lowest floor. “Lily!” she called while she was still getting off the railing. “I’ll help you get ready for the beach!”

The three of them got ready in record time. 

Lily could be a delightfully attentive listener when she wanted to be. It wasn’t too hard to dress one extra person for the beach. That, or it was so much easier to move when twenty some people didn’t have to follow. 

As they walked the path to the beach, Victoire held Lily’s hand tightly. Lily decided she was older now and wasn’t interested in being carried. Teddy slung a bag over his shoulder and led them toward the shore.

A few minutes in the sun charged Victoire like that electricity thing Grandad Weasley was always mentioning. She tilted her head back for the full effect and loved the way the ocean wind tugged her hair away from her neck. 

While Teddy chased Lily into the water, Victoire set up a low chair and kicked off her sandals. Her favorite kind of break, she decided quickly, was the kind that involved bare feet, lots of sand, and a good book. 

Babysitting was so much better when she could do it from a beach chair.

The sun sank further in the sky, turning orange and brightening the edge of the horizon. Lily, her hair tied up in a messy ponytail that Victoire did while they walked, played at the edge of the water, closely watched by Teddy. She let out a happy squeal as the waves came close to her, especially when she tried to run from one and it caught her. 

“Just a little farther, Lily!”

Lily shrieked at the water hitting her waist, but it quickly turned into a giggle. Teddy scooped her into his arms. She clung to him, still grinning, and hopped in place when he set her down a few feet back on the shore. Lily took a tentative step toward the next wave and looked over to him for assurance.

Teddy tirelessly coaxed her toward the water to see how far she could go and laughed whenever Lily skittered back as it nipped her ankles. She kicked a splash of ocean at him but couldn’t quite hide her smile. 

Victoire sat up in her seat. She shaded her eyes with a hand to make sure she was doing her part as an attentive babysitter. Though Teddy took on the character of a teasing older brother, Victoire could see how he carefully placed himself the proper distance away to swipe Lily away from danger if needed.

Her gaze drifted his way and stuck. Teddy managed to glance in her direction at the same time, making their eyes meet. He glanced down the beach quickly, must have seen no one, and scrunched his nose. The tips of his hair turned pink, the exact color Victoire swore was her favorite since she was Lily’s age. 

Did the sun get hotter on her skin once it decided to set?

“Vicky!” Lily called, yanking Victoire’s attention away from Teddy. Only someone as small and cute as Lily could get away with using that nickname anymore. 

“What is it?” 

Her voice sounded normal, didn’t it? Surely, she was only imagining the crack in it. 

“Watch!” Lily answered.

A larger wave came toward the shore. Rather than running away as she had before, Lily faced it down and took a high leap to land on the other side. The water swelled to her calves, retreating and making Lily brace herself against the force of the ocean. When the tide fully retreated, Lily turned back to Victoire again and flashed a wide smile that was charmingly missing a tooth.

Victoire made sure to gasp dramatically at the right time. When the little girl turned to face her again, Victoire clapped. “You’re so brave, Lily!” she called encouragingly. 

Lily gave an exaggerated bow that let the ends of her hair dip into the water. Teddy took that moment of distraction to swoop in without warning. He lifted Lily off her feet and mimed throwing her into the ocean. Victoire sat up with worry but relaxed back into her seat when Lily’s giggles reached her. 

As they played, Lily squirmed in his arms and managed to pull them both down into the water. When they didn’t pop back up right away, Victoire jolted to her feet and ran over to the edge of the water.

“Lily!” She shoved her sunglasses higher on her head to let her see properly. “Teddy!”

Before she could run in after them, Lily sat up. She shook her hair like a dog getting out of a bath and turned to crawl toward Victoire. 

Relieved, Victoire hugged her cousin tightly and wrung out her soaking red hair. “You can’t worry me like that!” she scolded. She kissed Lily’s forehead, even when she wriggled away from that affection. She was at the age when she couldn’t decide if it was cool or embarrassing to have older family members take care of her. 

Teddy flopped onto the beach beside them. He pulled Victoire down to sit beside him, letting the waves lap at their ankles. “It’s fine, Vicky.” She shot him a glare. “I’m not going to let anything happen to us.”

“Yeah, Vicky!” Lily added, settling between Victoire’s legs and leaning back against her to watch the ocean. “Teddy’s big and strong!” Somehow, Lily’s seesawing attitude about family affection never applied to Teddy. He was always allowed to sweep her into a piggy back ride or be the hero in a story. 

Victoire rolled her eyes where Lily couldn’t see and loosened her hair from its ponytail. “Tell the truth,” Victoire whispered conspiratorially, running her fingers through Lily’s hair to get out the worst of the tangles. “Did he make you say that, Lilypad?”

Teddy shoved her shoulder, but Victoire could have sworn that his arms weren’t quite that big a second ago. “Don’t be a prat, Weasley.” 

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Can you do the fishy braid, Vicky?”

“Of course.” Victoire turned forward again and parted Lily’s thick hair into sections. “Should we tell your mum that Teddy took you for a swim and a mermaid taught you how to fix your hair?”

“No,” Lily replied seriously, digging a small hole in the sand with a broken shell. “I’ll tell her it’s one of your special braids.”

Victoire couldn’t resist dropping a soft kiss on the top of Lily’s head. 

“One of her special braids?” Teddy asked.

“Yeah.” Lily continued to dig in the sand but managed to keep her head up and still. “Vicky can do all sorts of braids.” She gestured for Teddy to come closer. “I think it’s because she’s a princess.”

“I see.” Teddy nodded seriously before glancing dramatically at Victoire. “Your Highness.”

Victoire rolled her eyes at him. “Let’s go, Lilypad,” Victoire said, tugging on the end of Lily’s finished braid. “We’ll race back for dinner.”

\--

“Hey,” Victoire greeted, crossing her arms and leaning against his door frame. 

After the long day in the car, some time at the beach, and the chaos of dinner, Teddy clearly didn’t need to be encouraged to rest. 

Although his door was still open, Victoire wondered if she was interrupting him in the middle of trying to go to sleep. He already flung himself back against the pillows. At some point, he changed into an old pair of sweatpants and his Weasley family sweater from a few years ago. She could tell it wasn’t new based on the fraying bits at the end of his sleeves. 

When he was relaxed like this, other people might not have thought that he looked like himself. The bright color of the day - often turquoise - faded from his hair to reveal a light brown shade. He usually did it without thinking once it got late. Victoire knew it matched a man in some of the photographs stored in a trunk in his flat, though his hair didn’t have a reason to turn grey yet. 

Victoire liked that she was one of the only people to see him like this. To see what he was like without the facade that being a metamorphmagus seemed to demand.

This was Teddy when he wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

Not that she could blame him for being tired. Vacation was supposed to be relaxing, but it could also be tiring. Immediately after dinner, her first course of action was taking the time to change into a pair of leggings and one of her worn sweaters. This one was probably her favorite because multiple wears and washes made it soft in all the right places. 

Teddy opened one eye but didn’t otherwise move. “Hey.”

Victoire took that as an invitation and walked into the room. She took a seat on his bed and then laid back, looking up at the ceiling. “Well, I was thinking -”

“Dangerous.”

“That’s too easy of a jab. I expect better.” Victoire turned toward him and used her elbow to prop her head on her hand. “Like I was saying, I was thinking that we might need a vacation from our vacation.”

Teddy mirrored her position. “Sounds like you have something in mind.”

“Maybe.” 

“You’re such a tease, Weasley.”

She grinned. “Maybe you have to ask nicely.”

Teddy gave a loud sigh and moved until he was closer. When they were nearly nose to nose, his eyes shifted to a familiar pink. From the time he was little more than a toddler, his eyes changed like that around her. It always felt like a flicker of recognition for all of the memories they shared.

“Oh, beautiful Victoire Weasley -”

“That’s a nice start.”

“Shh.” He waved his hand as if batting away her remark. “Interrupting is rude. Like Iwas saying. Oh, beautiful and wise Victoire Weasley from the House of Weasley and House Ravenclaw. Won’t you bestow on your humble servant your impeccable wisdom?”

She made a face, but even that couldn’t break his concentration. He was on a roll.

“Won’t you save this mere peasant from two weeks of chicken nugget dinners? Won’t you grant us the wisdom to remember that we aren’t underage nor parents saddled with responsibility yet?” At some point, his hand snuck down to her side. He rested his fingers lightly on her waist.

“I thought you loved my family,” she teased. “Weren’t you looking forward to weeks away from Office Harry? Time with your god-siblings? A chance to catch up with -”

She wasn’t able to finish her next sentence because, with no warning, his fingers moved across her stomach. Featherlight movements made her buckle against the tickling, laughter spilling out of her. She wriggled away from him, trying to escape, but he had the element of surprise on his side. 

“Teddy!”

He shifted to move above her. In a movement that was far too smooth for the clumsy Teddy Lupin she knew, he pinned her on the mattress. “Ready to confess?” he asked.

For a few seconds, she forgot what she was even supposed to be saying. He leaned over her so they were touching in far too many places. Her breath caught, and white noise in her ears blocked out everything else. 

“Dinner,” she offered weakly. 

It didn’t sound like as good of a plan as it did five minutes ago in her head.

“That’s all?” Teddy sat back on his heels.

Victoire took her chance to escape. She crossed her legs to sit and leaned against the pile of pillows against his headboard. “I didn’t say it was revolutionary.” It was easier to think when his body weight wasn’t over her. “It might be nice to have an evening to ourselves. Maman and Dad understand that I haven’t seen you as much since you finished school. Plus, I miss hanging out with you.”

“Miss you too, Vic.” Teddy nodded and moved to sit beside her. “Let’s find somewhere nice. I’ve been living out of cans for the last few weeks, so I’m due for a splurge.”

“It should be somewhere no one expects,” she added. “Then they won’t send someone to spy and report back.” Victoire loved her family, but they could be a little… involved.

“I’ll look into it and let you know.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Victoire pushed herself off the bed and headed to the door. She pulled her sleeves down over her hands. “Good night, Lupin.”

“Vic, wait.”

She kept one hand on the doorframe when she looked over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Make sure you wear something nice.”

She couldn’t help but laugh when she did a quick spin. The fully carpeted bedrooms didn’t lead to Dominique-level grace in her sock-clad feet. “This isn’t doing it for you?”

“‘Course it is.” Teddy lounged back on his pillows. “But I don’t want us to be recognized. That ‘V’ on your chest might give us away.”

“Fine. You win.” Victoire turned away to shut the door. 

Before it closed behind her, she slipped her wand out of her waistband and pointed it over her shoulder. A surprised yelp and the call of, “I’m going to get you back, Weasley!” let her know she hit her target before the door clicked shut. 


	3. First Date

Since she didn’t have her entire closet to pick from, it wasn’t too hard to find something to wear for dinner. The options were limited. Luckily, when she was packing for the trip, Victoire threw a dress (or two) in her bag. 

Her mother always warned her about being under-prepared. 

“Don’t give them any reason to doubt you, _mon amour_ ,” Fleur advised. She would pat Victoire’s cheek and give her a smile that looked a little sad. “Men underestimate a pretty face.”

Victoire knew enough of the stories about her mother to know that was true. At seventeen, she was picked as the champion for her school. Still, she received scoffs at every challenge and had to fight for respect. Her mother fought for the Order of the Phoenix. She risked her life to hide Harry Potter and used their cottage as a safe house. She stood up when others hid, and news stories still labelled her only as the stunning wife of part-werewolf Bill Weasley.

From a young age, Victoire noted the way men’s eyes followed her mother when they went shopping. She heard their whistles and flirtation before she knew what they meant. When they started to happen to her, Victoire already recognized them. 

Maman was possibly the most beautiful woman in the world - though, Victoire was also probably a _little_ biased. 

She wasn’t only beautiful, though. 

She was also annoyingly clever. It was easier to sneak around Hogwarts than try to slip something past her mother. Maman had fought dragons, mermaids, and whatever else was in that damn maze, so she was more than equipped to handle three occasionally mischievous children.

Weasley blood didn’t phase Fleur Delacour-Weasley.

Due to her mother’s repeated warnings, Victoire was usually the one with two entire weeks of clothes for a weekend trip. She hated forgetting anything. If any of them went out for dinner or drinks, she reasoned, she might want something other than shorts or a bikini. 

Though, she couldn’t lie. It was tempting to pretend she didn’t pack anything and wear a torn pair of jeans. That would show him for teasing her about wearing something nice.

But Victoire resisted.

The maxi dress she brought was a bright combination of pink, purple, and red flowers with short sleeves. The bottom layer was a deep plum that clung to her hips and made the v-neck of the top layer less revealing. It was more casual than she would usually select for non-family dinner. By beach standards, however, it was practically black tie. 

Before she went out for the day that morning, she braided her golden locks and happily took the excuse to avoid getting salt water through her hair. While she was getting ready, Victoire let out the braids and tried to fluff her hair so it would look like the relaxed beach waves all the magazines advertised. A day of sun gave her a little glow on her collarbone and arms. 

With a little bit of makeup and a good coat of lip gloss, she was nearly ready to go. 

Still, she stood in front of the mirror, turning her back to it and twisting to assess the dress from all angles. It wasn’t like she had many choices, but was this one perfect?

“You look fancy,” Dominique commented as they came into the shared bedroom. 

Louis had immediately claimed a spot with Fred, as he always did, which put Dominique and Victoire in the same room. The two oldest Weasley children were close in age and clothing size, though, so even when Victoire played the proper big sister role of being annoyed with her middle sibling, she didn’t actually mind.

For the most part. 

Dominique flopped onto their bed on the other side of the room. Turning and laying on their back, they put their legs on the wall and let their head hang off the edge, looking at Victoire upside down. “What are you up to?”

“You’re so suspicious.”

“I have to be around you.”

Victoire stopped herself from sticking her tongue out at Dominique. Instead, she turned to face the mirror. “I’m not up to anything. Going to dinner.” 

Was this eye shadow too bright for evening?

“Mhm.”

She could let it drop. Victoire could be the older and maturer one. She could not let her sibling know that they accomplished their mission of getting under her skin. She could make sure that her eyeliner was even on both sides. 

Dominique was too quiet. 

She looked over her reflection in the mirror to see behind her. It didn’t give her a complete view of Dominique, but she also didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of her full attention. 

They were still in their shorts and gaudy tourist shirt from a day of attempting to fly a kite by the ocean. Their cheeks matched their hair in the places where they must have forgotten to reapply sunscreen. 

“What is it?” Victoire demanded. 

“Who dresses up for dinner on vacation?” 

“People going to nice places, Domi, that serve more than mac and cheese.”

“Mac and cheese is good.” Dominique shrugged and kept their ridiculous, upside down position. “You’re salty because you don’t like ordering the same thing as Lily.”

Life gave her enough practice to be able to argue with Dominique and do a perfect wing at the same time. Victoire double-checked herself but did not need to reapply. After one last look in the mirror, she dropped her eyeliner pencil on their shared vanity. 

Despite the fact that there was only one in their room, Victoire, admittedly, took up most of the space. She didn’t feel too bad about it, however, since Dominique took over most of the wall by the door with their multiple pairs of Converse in different colors.

“You’re missing the point.” 

Dominique made a face. “You had one?”

“Youthought _you_ did.” Victoire tossed her hair over her shoulder and grabbed a small purse from her bed. “But you don’t. I’m going to dinner with my best friend to get away from little siblings who _pry_.”

“Oooh!” Dominique’s face lit up with understanding. They moved quickly to be rightside up and sit criss-cross on their bed. “You’re going on a date.”

“No. I told you. I’m going to dinner with my best friend, and -”

“A date,” Dominique repeated, nodding once. “If it’s your first date, I probably don’t need to make myself scarce, but if you’ll need the room…”

“No!” Victoire said again, louder. She tried to wave away Dominique’s growing smirk and suggestive wink. “I’m not going to need -”

“Ready?”

Victoire’s hand fell and her attention went to the door. 

Teddy was there, pushing the door open. His sleeves were rolled below his elbows, and he wore a tie with a crooked knot. It was dark (black? maybe navy?), though she couldn’t tell its exact color with this lighting. Victoire suspected that he might have borrowed it from Harry. His smile widened as the undertones of his hair shifted to match the purple from her dress. 

“Hi, Teddy,” Dominique greeted a bit too enthusiastically. 

Victoire ignored them. “Yes, I’m ready,” she replied, intentionally avoiding their gaze and any sibling-telepathy messages Dominique was trying to send. “Please.”

“Hey, Dom. Mind if I steal this one for awhile?” Teddy offered his arm, and Victoire stepped forward to take it gratefully. “Don’t get in too much trouble without us.” Teddy looked over Victoire’s head to wink. 

Dominique answered with a grin like they won a lottery as they fell back on their pillows. “Have fun, kids. Be safe. Make good choices!”

Victoire made a point of shutting the door firmly behind them. 

“So where are we going?” she asked. 

“It’s a surprise.”

“Not even a hint?”

Teddy looked at her with a crooked grin. “Where’s the fun in that, Vicky?”

\--

“Wow.” 

Victoire stopped in front of the restaurant. It stood alone, and the name wasn’t clear from the facade. The windows were dark, but a series of lights led to the front door. It was the kind of place that didn’t need to shout. Its unassuming appearance made it look more untouchable.

“Do you like it?” Teddy stopped by her side, since his arm was still intertwined with hers. She knew him well enough to recognize the note of worry in his tone.

“Wow,” she repeated.

She wanted a few more seconds to process that she was going to eat dinner in a place with proper mood lighting and real candles on the table. She had never eaten in a restaurant that didn’t have a sign or its name plastered across the front. She couldn’t remember the last time she went to a place without a kids’ menu.

Teddy shrugged one shoulder and tugged her toward the front door. “We agreed on somewhere nice. I couldn’t disappoint.”

“How did you find it?”

Teddy lifted his hand to ruffle the back of his hair. “I called around, checked in with places.” He untangled his arm from hers to hold open the door for her. “Found this place.”

Her line of questioning ended when the host gestured them toward a table right away. Teddy took her hand when they headed to the back of the restaurant, so that must not have taken him too much by surprise. He made _reservations_. 

Victoire tried not to make too much of a fool of herself when she looked around the restaurant as they passed through. Most of the tables were dimly lit with couples sitting across from each other. They leaned in, speaking in low voices and finding small excuses to touch the other person’s arms and hands.

It seemed that any fancy kind of restaurant had an assumption of romance. She and Teddy had never been like _that_ , but it didn’t feel out of place to hold his hand. 

Trying something new made her almost giddy.

Their table was laid with two wrapped sets of silverware, wine glasses, a candle, and finely typed menus. She took a seat in the chair offered by Teddy, wondering if she actually owned _anything_ that would be exactly right for this kind of place. When she gave him the choice, part of her anticipated some shoddy-looking shack that made the best fish and chips on the coast. This was a far cry from that.

“This is nice, Teddy, but you’re still on a trainer salary. I didn’t mean for you to -”

He waved her away and shook his head. “When I told Harry I wanted to go out somewhere good, he gave me something for it. Don’t feel guilty. We’re spending _his_ trust fund, not my meager earnings.” 

“You told Uncle Harry? What does he think about it?”

“Mostly that I needed a night off, I think.”

Victoire looked at the minimalist menu on the table and glanced over at Teddy. She recognized the dishes listed not because they were her usual dining fare, but because Maman always talked about missing some of them. He brought her to a fancy _French_ restaurant. “You asked my mum for a recommendation, didn’t you?”

He at least had the decency to look sheepish. “I might have asked your mum.”

The waiter appeared at their table before she could question him further. Although she never ate in a place like this before, Victoire could pick up the basics. She was too embarrassed to ask what anything meant on the menu, but she fortunately had a good enough accent to cover any of her lack of culinary knowledge. She ordered for both of them. 

When the food came, their gazes met at the same time to laugh at the comically small portions. Maybe a fish and chips stand was more her speed after all.

Once they whisked away their empty plates, the waiter quickly replaced their wine glasses with sparkling champagne flutes.

“Oh,” Victoire started, “we didn’t order -”

“On the house,” the waiter replied smoothly. She could swear he has some kind of knowing glint in his eye. Nevertheless, she picked up her glass and looked across the table at Teddy.

He wasn’t bothered by it, clearly, since he lifted his glass between them. With a grin, Victoire tapped her glass against his and took a drink. She never particularly liked champagne (why couldn’t it taste a little more like sparkling grape juice?) but she wouldn’t say no to a nice end of their meal. It made the whole night feel fancy and like a scene in a muggle film.

Something metallic - even more metallic than the alcohol - clinked against her teeth. 

Lowering her glass, Victoire had to stare at the bottom for a full few seconds before she registered what it was.

A ring.

In her champagne glass.

“Teddy,” Victoire said, low like a warning. “What is this?”

“What’s -” Teddy’s eyes widened when he saw the same thing she noticed.

The quiet hum of the restaurant came to a screeching halt. The closest waiter paused, tray still by his shoulder. The scene in the film shifted so she definitely felt like the person being watched. She didn’t audition for this scene.

“It’s an engagement ring,” she whispered, a little frantic. “Teddy, there’s an engagement ring in -”

“Victoire.” Since he was speaking at a normal volume, it sounded loud in her ears. The whole restaurant took a collective breath when Teddy sank to his knee beside her chair. 

“What are you doing?”

“Go with it,” he answered, taking her hand. “We’ll sort it out later.”

“We can’t -”

“Will you marry me?”

The lights were really designed for moments like this. The candle caught every edge of Teddy’s jaw and cast shadows across his face. His skin was warm in the limited light, and it made him look air-brushed. She didn’t tell her hand to cup his cheek, but it did of its own accord.

Victoire had been following his wildest schemes for most of her life. What was one more?

“Yes,” she answered, mind flipping between laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the moment and panic that they were backing themselves into an inescapable hole. “A thousand times yes!”

The audience of their fellow restaurant attendees and waiters clapped. One swept in, like he had been waiting for this exact moment, and left a decadent chocolate cake on their table. “For the lovebirds,” he said, bowing and leaving them to their dessert. 

Teddy slipped into the seat across from her with a grin. Victoire felt the weight of the diamond on her finger and dropped her hand to the table. Holding out the handle side of their presumably shared fork, Teddy shrugged. “At least we got dessert?”

\--

“It was a mix-up,” Teddy said, stopping his jog to stand by her near the curb. He shoved his hands in his pockets and let her stay higher on the curb to better match his height. 

“Obviously.” 

“There’s nothing to worry about. I took care of everything.”

Victoire hugged Teddy’s jacket, which he gave her before they left the restaurant, around her bare arms and shifted on her feet. “What did they do?”

“Apologized, mostly. Said it was supposed to go to the table next to us.”

“And you gave it back to them?”

“Of course,” Teddy replied, rolling his eyes. “I’m not a thief.”

“But we did take their cake.”

“I offered to pay, but they wouldn’t take it. Merlin, Vic, you worry about everything.”

“Well, we just lied to an entire restaurant of people who thought we…”

Teddy took his hands out of his pockets to loop his arm through hers. He tugged her toward the boardwalk. “It’s fine, Vic. I explained the whole thing. One of them even smiled, so it really is fine. We won’t write a nasty comment about them messing up. They won’t cry over a piece of cake. It’s a win-win.” 

Victoire made herself wait a beat before answering again. “I hope we didn’t ruin the actual couple’s engagement.”

“They’re fine,” he assured her. “I saw the bloke, and we might have saved him. He was shaking so bad. I think a private proposal might be better for them.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” 

“I’m sure.” He squeezed her arm and picked up their walking pace. “I’m still hungry. Are you?”

If not for the surprise cake, she would probably still be starving. As it was, she wasn’t exactly full. The restaurant he picked was one people went to for the atmosphere and feeling it gave, not because the food would fill them.

“I could go for something,” she answered. “Have an idea?”

“‘Course,” Teddy replied, guiding them down the wooden walkway. “I always look up back-up options.” They continued down the beach a little ways.

Teddy’s back-up option was, of course, also perfect. 

That was the perk to spending time with someone who knew her so well. When she didn’t know exactly what she wanted, he had a good shot of getting it right. He didn’t try to impress her with shiny things. He knew what she would like, so he didn’t have to crash and burn in the attempt.

Since they already ate dinner, Teddy ordered a platter of fish and chips to share between them. It felt like the perfect thing to eat while they sat on a picnic table by the ocean. 

Victoire sat on the table with her sandals resting on the bench, facing the coast so she could see the water while they ate. The beach wind swept back her hair, making the loose curls dance in the breeze. His jacket was still around her shoulders, held tight by one hand over her chest. Teddy’s hair also moved with the wind, showing the various shades he hid in his dark locks.

“Well, we did it once. So we can return to our usual diet of fried things.” Victoire plucked one of the perfect fries - crispy and golden - from the basket and took a bite. “Maybe I’ll follow Lily’s lead the next time we go out. She always knows what to order.”

“She’d probably let you have her kids meal if you let her take your plate.”

With a laugh, Victoire pointed at Teddy with her half-eaten fry. “You’re a genius, Lupin.”

They ate in comfortable silence, the waves providing good background sound. After a few days in the house, it was nice to sit and hear her own thoughts. Between Hogwarts and the chaos of her family, alone time was rare.

Teddy took a deep breath, so she wasn’t completely caught off guard when he spoke again. “What if we… did it again?”

Victoire looked over at Teddy and lifted a brow. “Did what again?”

“Got engaged.”

Victoire gave him a look and pushed the fried fish toward him. “Are you getting lightheaded? We didn’t get engaged the first time. I don’t think we can do it again.”

“But they _thought_ we got engaged,” Teddy replied. “Once you got over the shock, wasn’t it a bit exciting? Everyone staring at us, waiting for your answer? It’s an extended prank on _everyone_.”

Perhaps Teddy had spent too much time with James in the past few days.

Truthfully, it was difficult to remove the surprise from the whole experience. The last thing she thought she would gain from the night was a new ring on her finger - even if she quickly turned in the sticky, alcohol-covered ring to the host by the front of the restaurant. The whole thing was good for a laugh or two until they accused her of stealing some bloke’s ring.

“I guess it was pretty fun.” Victoire grabbed another one of their fries and dipped it in ketchup. “The cake didn’t hurt.”

“Think about it. It’s not even that much of a lie. It’s like telling the waiter it’s your birthday - but better. Getting engaged doesn’t come around every year.”

“You _hope_ it doesn’t,” Victoire countered. “So you’re proposing that we go around pretending to be engaged so they… give us free cake?”

“Free cake, free whatever they’ll give us. It doesn’t only have to be stuffy French restaurants. Maybe a cupcake at dinner or an extra order of fries or a free shot at the bar.” Teddy took one of the fries and offered it to her. “It could be fun, Vicky.” 

“But why?”

“Isn’t that all enough of a reason? Why not?”

They _were_ on vacation. This wouldn’t have to follow them past the end of their rental. No one on the beach, besides the people they came with, knew them. They could be anyone. Vacations were the time to try on a new persona and leave it behind when regular life came back. When she went back for her last year at Hogwarts, this could be a series of fun memories with her best friend. 

Why not?

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @women-inthe-sequel!


End file.
